PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It's the end of the line for one way to pay SEPTA fares.
SEPTA is retiring the Key Tix function on its app, effective March 2. Riders use Key Tix to buy a QR code that gets scanned at the turnstile or farebox.
However, with customers increasingly using their phones or credit cards to pay fares, SEPTA said fewer riders use the feature.
Since its high-water mark in September 2023, usage has dropped sharply.
"At its peak usage, it was generating about 62,000 trips per month. Now, it's just down to about 10,000," SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer told KYW Newsradio. "Contactless payment technology has really surpassed the need for a feature like Key Tix."
Since last April, riders have been able to pay fares across the SEPTA system by tapping their credit or debit cards or using Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.
"Those are kind of the things that people prefer," Sauer said. "They have many tools at their disposal now. Key Tix is just a very underutilized feature."
Even though SEPTA is ending sales of Key Tix on March 2, Key Tix fares can still be used 180 days after purchase. The last date to purchase a Key Tix is March 1, and the final date it will be accepted is Friday, Aug. 28.